Radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container

ABSTRACT

A radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container includes a heat-absorbing body having an outer surface, an opening, and a receiving space; and a light-permeable layer covering the outer surface of the heat-absorbing body. Another radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container includes a base, a heat-absorbing cover having an outer surface, and a light-permeable layer covering the outer surface of the heat-absorbing cover, wherein the heat-absorbing cover is tightly connected with the periphery of the base to form a receiving space between the heat-absorbing cover and the base. A thermal insulation layer is formed between the light-permeable layer and the heat-absorbing cover in the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving containers of the present invention. When the outer surface of the heat-absorbing body or cover is exposed to light passing through the light-permeable layer, the heat-absorbing body or cover absorbs the thermal energy of, and is thus heated by, the light. The thermal insulation layer prevents heat dissipation from the heat-absorbing body or cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a heat-preserving container and more particularly to a heat-preserving container configured for absorbing the radiant heat of light.

2. Description of Related Art

With the progress of society, more and more importance has been attached to energy saving and environmental protection, Solar energy advantageously features no impact on the environment, no cost required for generating the energy, and ease of use.

However, the conventional applications of solar energy typically require the use of solar heaters, solar cells, or other costly devices and lack effective solutions to preventing the thermal energy obtained from dissipation.

The creation of a useful container capable of absorbing the radiant heat of light and preserving the heat absorbed is, therefore, not only a goal of the energy-saving industry, but also highly desirable to the general public. Such a container preferably has an easy-to-implement design by which efficient use of energy, wide applicability, and a high degree of safety can be achieved at low cost.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container includes a heat-absorbing body having an outer surface, an opening, and a receiving space; and a light-permeable layer covering the outer surface of the heat-absorbing body. Another radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container includes a base, a heat-absorbing cover having an outer surface, and a light-permeable layer, wherein the heat-absorbing cover covers the base and is tightly connected with the periphery of the base to form a receiving space between the heat-absorbing cover and the base, wherein the light-permeable layer covers the outer surface of the heat-absorbing cover, and wherein a thermal insulation layer is formed between the light-permeable layer and the heat-absorbing cover. When the outer surface of the heat-absorbing body or cover is exposed to light passing through the light-permeable layer, the heat-absorbing body or cover absorbs the thermal energy of the light. The thermal insulation layer, on the other hand, prevents heat dissipation from the heat-absorbing body or cover. Thus, with the light passing through the light-permeable layer and striking the heat-absorbing body or cover, the heat-absorbing body or cover is heated without the use of electricity or fire. Meanwhile, the thermal insulation layer provides heat preservation by blocking convection and keeping heat from dissipating from the heat-absorbing body or cover.

The present invention provides a radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container which includes a heat-absorbing body and a light-permeable layer. The heat-absorbing body has an outer surface, an opening, and a receiving space. When the outer surface of the heat-absorbing body is exposed to light, the heat-absorbing body absorbs the thermal energy of the light. The light-permeable layer covers the outer periphery of the heat-absorbing body except at the opening and is permeable to the light. A thermal insulation layer is formed between the light-permeable layer and the heat-absorbing body.

The present invention also provides a radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container which includes a base, a heat-absorbing cover, and a light-permeable layer. The heat-absorbing cover covers the base and is tightly connected with the periphery of the base such that a receiving space is formed between the heat-absorbing cover and the base. The heat-absorbing cover has an outer surface. When the outer surface of the heat-absorbing cover is exposed to at least one ray of light, the heat-absorbing cover absorbs the thermal energy of the ray of light. The light-permeable layer covers the outer surface of the heat-absorbing cover and is permeable to light. A thermal insulation layer is formed between the light-permeable layer and the heat-absorbing cover.

Implementation of the present invention at least produces the following inventive steps:

1. Heating can be achieved with the energy of light, without having to use electricity or fire,

2. Green, or sustainable, energy is used to the advantage of environmental protection and energy saving.

3. Heat preservation can be attained.

The features and advantages of the present invention are detailed hereinafter with reference to the preferred embodiments. The detailed description is intended to enable a person skilled in the art to gain insight into the technical contents disclosed herein and implement the present invention accordingly. In particular, a person skilled in the art can easily understand the objects and advantages of the present invention by referring to the disclosure of the specification, the claims, and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing that the thermal insulation layer of the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in FIG. 1 is filled with an inert gas;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing that the thermal insulation layer of the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in FIG. 2 is filled with an inert gas;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing that the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in FIG. 1 is further provided with a cover;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing that the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in FIG. 2 is further provided with a cover;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional perspective view of the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional perspective view of the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in still another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the outer surface of the heat-absorbing cover is coated with a heat-absorbing film;

FIG. 10 is a sectional perspective view of the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in a further embodiment of the present invention, wherein the thermal insulation layer is filled with an inert gas;

FIG. 11 is a sectional perspective view of the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in yet another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the outer surface of the heat-absorbing cover is coated with a heat-absorbing film and the thermal insulation layer is filled with an inert gas; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing that the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container in FIG. 7 is further provided with fasteners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a heat-absorbing body 10 and a light-permeable layer 20, with a thermal insulation layer 30 formed between the light-permeable layer 20 and the outer surface 11 of the heat-absorbing body 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the heat-absorbing body 10 has an opening 12 and a receiving space 13 in addition to the outer surface 11. When the outer surface 11 is exposed to at least one ray of light 80, the heat-absorbing body 10 absorbs the thermal energy of the ray of light 80. The receiving space 13 serves to hold an object or substance so that the object or substance in the receiving space 13 can be heated by the thermal energy absorbed by the heat-absorbing body 10. The opening 12 of the heat-absorbing body 10 allows the object or substance to be put into or removed from the receiving space 13 of the heat-absorbing body 10. In this embodiment, the heat-absorbing body 10 can be made of metal or a heat-absorbing material.

The ray of light 80 can be visible light, infrared light, far-infrared light, or simply sunlight. According to experiment data, the temperature of the heat-absorbing body 10 can rise above 100° C. due to exposure to sunlight.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the light-permeable layer 20 in this embodiment covers the outer periphery of the heat-absorbing body 10 except at the opening 12 and allows passage of the ray of light 80. Moreover, the thermal insulation layer 30 is formed between the light-permeable layer 20 and the heat-absorbing body 10. The light-permeable layer 20 can be made of glass, an acrylic material featuring high light permeability and durability, polycarbonate (PC), or the like.

The thermal insulation layer 30 is sandwiched between and sealed by the heat-absorbing body 10 and the light-permeable layer 20. The main function of the thermal insulation layer 30 is to block convection of thermal energy so that the thermal energy absorbed by the heat-absorbing body 10 from the ray of light 80 will not be transferred to the light-permeable layer 20 by convection and is therefore kept from dissipating into the surroundings.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the thermal insulation layer 30 can be a vacuum region. In other words, the thermal insulation layer 30 sandwiched between and sealed by the heat-absorbing body 10 and the light-permeable layer 20 can be a region from which air has been extracted to create a vacuum free of thermally conductive medium so as to effectively prevent heat dissipation from the heat-absorbing body 10.

Alternatively, referring to FIG. 3, the thermal insulation layer 30 can be a region filled with an inert gas 50. Like a vacuum, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N₂) can be used to block convection. Hence, by filling the thermal insulation layer 30 sandwiched between and sealed by the heat-absorbing body 10 and the light-permeable layer 20 with the inert gas 50, heat dissipation from the heat-absorbing body 10 can be blocked just as well.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the outer surface 11 of the heat-absorbing body 10 can be coated with at least one layer of heat-absorbing film 40. The heat-absorbing film 40 can be fixedly attached to the outer surface 11 of the heat-absorbing body 10 by electroplating, sputtering, evaporation deposition, or other coating techniques. The heat-absorbing film 40 can be made of copper, silicone, a thermally conductive polymer, glass fibers, or other low-thermal resistance materials, or a mixture of any two or more of the above, in order to accelerate absorption of the thermal energy of the ray of light 80 by the heat-absorbing body 10.

Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container 100 can be further provided with a cover 60 connectable to the opening 12. The cover 60 can seal or be removed from the opening 12.

The radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container 100 can be portable or otherwise. Moreover, the container is subject to no limitations in shape and can be formed as a bottle, can, cup, or box or as a plate tightly connectable with a cover.

The radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container 100 can heat the object or substance in the receiving space 13 of the heat-absorbing body 10 in an energy-saving and environmentally friendly manner while the thermal insulation layer 30 prevents heat dissipation and thereby achieves heat preservation.

Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container 200 in another embodiment of the present invention includes a base 70, a heat-absorbing cover 10′, and a light-permeable layer 20, and a thermal insulation layer 30 is formed between the light-permeable layer 20 and the heat-absorbing cover 10′.

The base 70 shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 serves to support an object or substance to be heated and is preferably made of a material which is heat-resistant and thermally insulating and releases no substances that are toxic or otherwise harmful to the human body or the environment.

As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the heat-absorbing cover 10′ covers the base 70 and is tightly connected with the periphery of the base 70 such that a receiving space 13 is formed between the heat-absorbing cover 10′ and the base 70, The heat-absorbing cover 10′ has an outer surface 11. When the outer surface 11 is exposed to at least one ray of light 80, the heat-absorbing cover 10′ absorbs the thermal energy of the ray of light 80.

With continued reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the light-permeable layer 20 covers the outer surface 11 of the heat-absorbing cover 10′ and allows passage of the ray of light 80. Also, as mentioned above, the thermal insulation layer 30 is formed between the light-permeable layer 20 and the heat-absorbing cover 10′.

Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 11, the light-permeable layer 20 can be made of glass, an acrylic material featuring high light permeability and durability, polycarbonate (PC), or the like. The thermal insulation layer 30 formed between the light-permeable layer 20 and the heat-absorbing cover 10′ can be a vacuum region or a region filled with an inert gas 50.

Referring to FIG. 9 and FIG. 11, the outer surface 11 of the heat-absorbing cover 10′ can be further coated with at least one layer of heat-absorbing film 40 in order to absorb the thermal energy of the ray of light 80 more effectively.

The radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container 200 is so configured that, by placing an object or substance on the base 70, covering the base 70 tightly with the heat-absorbing cover 10′, and exposing the container to the ray of light 80 (e.g., visible light, infrared light, far-infrared light, or sunlight), the object or substance can be heated and kept warm in a very energy-saving and environmentally friendly manner, thanks to the heat-absorbing cover 10′, which absorbs thermal energy, and the thermal insulation layer 30, which prevents dissipation of the thermal energy absorbed,

Referring to FIG. 12, the heat-absorbing cover 10′ and the base 70 can be fastened together by at least one fastener 90 to ensure that the heat-absorbing cover 10′ and the base 70 are tightly connected and will not separate from each other.

The embodiments described above are intended only to demonstrate the technical concept and features of the present invention so as to enable a person skilled in the art to understand and implement the contents disclosed herein. It is understood that the disclosed embodiments are not to limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent changes or modifications based on the concept of the present invention should be encompassed by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container, comprising: a heat-absorbing body having an outer surface, an opening, and a receiving space, wherein when the outer surface is exposed to at least one ray of light, the heat-absorbing body absorbs thermal energy of the ray of light; and a light-permeable layer covering an outer periphery of the heat-absorbing body except at the opening and allowing passage of the ray of light, there being a thermal insulation layer formed between the light-permeable layer and the heat-absorbing body.
 2. The heat-preserving container of claim 1, wherein the outer surface is coated with at least one layer of heat-absorbing film.
 3. The heat-preserving container of claim 1, wherein the heat-absorbing body is made of metal or a heat-absorbing material.
 5. The heat-preserving container of claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation layer is a vacuum region.
 6. The heat-preserving container of claim 2, wherein the thermal insulation layer is a vacuum region.
 7. The heat-preserving container of claim 3, wherein the thermal insulation layer is a vacuum region.
 8. The heat-preserving container of claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation layer is a region filled with an inert gas.
 9. The heat-preserving container of claim 2, wherein the thermal insulation layer is a region filled with an inert gas.
 10. The heat-preserving container of claim 3, wherein the thermal insulation layer is a region filled with an inert gas.
 11. The heat-preserving container of claim 1, wherein the opening is connectable with a cover.
 12. The heat-preserving container of claim 2, wherein the opening is connectable with a cover.
 13. The heat-preserving container of claim 3, wherein the opening is connectable with a cover.
 14. A radiant heat-absorbing heat-preserving container, comprising: a base; a heat-absorbing cover covering the base and tightly connected with a periphery of the base such that a receiving space is formed between the heat-absorbing cover and the base, the heat-absorbing cover having an outer surface, wherein when the outer surface is exposed to at least one ray of light, the heat-absorbing cover absorbs thermal energy of the ray of light; and a light-permeable layer covering the outer surface and allowing passage of the ray of light, there being a thermal insulation layer formed between the light-permeable layer and the heat-absorbing cover.
 15. The heat-preserving container of claim 14, wherein the outer surface is coated with at least one layer of heat-absorbing film.
 16. The heat-preserving container of claim 14, wherein the base is thermally insulating.
 17. The heat-preserving container of claim 14, wherein the thermal insulation layer is a vacuum region or a region filled with an inert gas.
 18. The heat-preserving container of claim 15, wherein the thermal insulation layer is a vacuum region or a region filled with an inert gas. 